Before United took on Liverpool at Anfield there were a few other matters to settle. There was
a little matter of an ECL quarter-final, which saw the first leg at Elland Road. The Deportivo Coach had said how pleased he was to have drawn
the weakest team in the competition. He was made to eat his words in no
uncertain fashion as the crowd chanted ď3-0 to the weakest teamĒ as United
turned on an awesome display. All the goals came from set pieces but such was Unitedís dominance that it was a surprise it was only 3-0.
An Ian Harte special with a free-kick from
twenty-five yards gave United a slender half-time lead, but the Deportivo goal had lead a charmed life. Harry Kewell laid back a corner to Ian Harte
whose perfect cross was headed home by Alan Smith. In the sixty-seventh minute
United got their deserved three goal cushion as an Ian Harte
corner was headed home by Rio Ferdinand for his first goal for the club and the
icing on the cake for his faultless performance on the night.

United almost certainly put a semi-final place beyond a side
that had been rapidly building a big reputation in Europe, but who on the night
put up a miserable performance. Rather than Spanish Champions they were a group
of impostors who were not fit to be on the same football pitch as United. This
was due to Unitedís rumbustious performance and Deportivoís total underestimation of Unitedís
skill and ability, and consequently they were lucky to get away with a 3-0
defeat when their lack of application deserved more. However, the three goal
cushion without the concession of an away goal should have been enough to see
such accomplished away performers as Leeds a clear
passage to the semi-finals and if Deportivo had
thought they could keep the lid on the Leeds strike
force and sneak an away goal they very sadly miscalculated.

There had been a buzz of excitement that had swept round the
ground as kick-off approached and when Dominic Matteo
miss-headed a defensive header to give Djalminha a
shooting chance they were relieved when he dallied too long and the chance
disappeared. United then took up the attack and Ian Harte
got in a bobbling shot that Francisco Molina collected after difficulty. A
delightfully weighted long ball from Ian Harte found
Lee Bowyer on the edge of the box and his shot was saved by Molina to prevent
what would have been a classic goal. Then Harry Kewell
produced some magic on the left turning first Romero and then Manuel Pablo
inside out with an array of twists and turns before crashing a shot narrowly
wide from an acute angle.

Alan Smith was upended by Emerson but Ian Harteís twenty-five yard free-kick was cleared without too
much fuss, but United were clearly on top and calling the tune. Emerson was
booked for another foul, this time on Olivier Dacourt
and then Cesar hacked down Alan Smith on the edge of the box after twenty-six
minutes to give an inviting chance to Ian Harte, who
stepped up for the free-kick to send in a thunderous shot which left Francisco
Molina only able to watch as it cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and
into the net. Mark Vidukaís glancing header played in
Alan Smith, but with his back to goal he couldnít turn quick enough and his
shot was weak and did not trouble Molina. A rasping long range volley from
David Batty produced another spectacular from Molina who was now getting very
over-worked and was under more pressure ten minutes before half-time as Danny
Mills forced a corner. A one goal interval lead was the least the adventurous Leeds
deserved in a one-sided game in which Nigel Martyn
had not had a shot to save.

United doubled their lead in the fifty-first minute when
Harry Kewell played the ball down the left to Ian Harte, who in turn crossed for Alan Smith to head home
powerfully from point-blank range. Seven minutes later Ian Harte
went close to repeating his earlier free-kick and Francisco Molina would have
been relieved to see it pass inches wide of his near post. The sixty-seventh
minute brought ecstasy for United as they sailed into a three goal lead.
Francisco Molina again flapped at an Ian Harte corner
but a defenderís touch only helped it onto Rio Ferdinandís head at the back
post, and it thundered into the net for his first goal for United. Ferdinand
was having a great game and he was back at the other end performing retrieval
work in his own six yard box and then eight minutes from time he nipped in to
rob substitute Tristan, who was in the act of shooting. Good late saves by
Nigel Martyn from substitutes Tristan and Walter Pandiani ensured a clean sheet that would be so valuable
for Unitedís trip to Spain.

"The
best yet!"
That was how David O'Leary described Leeds United's
3-0 first leg victory over Deportivo La Coruna in the Champions League quarter-final at Elland Road. Not a bad description by any
means. United were great and the victory over an undoubtedly talented Deportivo side was something special and made a lot of
people, in addition to United fans, sit up and take note of O'Leary's side. The
United manager's plan was first and foremost not to allow Deportivo
an 'away' goal to take back to Spain, so to achieve that and knock in
three goals as well was particularly rewarding and, in view of some derogatory
pre-match comments from Deportivo midfielder Victor,
extremely satisfying.

Victor had apparently claimed
before the game that of the teams still left in the competition, United were
the one the others would prefer to play, meaning they were the weakest left in
the contest. United, however, refused to be drawn into a war of words, O'Leary
saying that Victor was entitled to his opinion. "I would say we are the
smallest club of those left in, but so what?" the United
boss said.

In addition to United and Deportivo, the other clubs still in at this stage were Bayern Munich (who would have been O'Leary's preference for
a quarter-final tie) Manchester United, Real Madrid, Valencia, Arsenal and Galatasary. Rio Ferdinand also refused to be drawn too
deeply into the pre-match debate, but said: "Results speak more than people
speak. We've had this sort of thing a lot in this competition, especially
against Anderlecht, and it serves to bring the lads closer together. It makes us all the
more determined," he said, then added: "When you consider no-one gave
us a chance in the group stages, being in the last eight is like a victory on
its own. Anything else we achieve is a bonus."

United did most of their
talking on the pitch with a five-star performance that produced three goals and
gave the Elland Road faithful the opportunity to
taunt the opposition with chants of 'Three-nil to the weakest team.'

United were certainly up
for this challenge and they went at Deportivo
powerfully but it was the twenty-sixth minute before United took the lead with
one of Ian Harte's specialist free-kicks. The Irish
international beat the keeper with a fierce shot that sped into the goal off
the underside of the crossbar. Alan Smith increased United's
lead in the fifty-first minute when, following a corner, he directed a powerful
header from Ian Harte's cross into the net. It really
was becoming one of those glorious European nights at Elland Road. It became even more so, quarter of
an hour later, when Rio Ferdinand set the seal on a rewarding night's work when
he thundered in a header for his first goal for the club.

Although elated by such a
commanding first leg lead, O'Leary, mindful of Deportivo's
attacking ability, especially at home, preached caution. "It was our best
yet," the United boss said of the result.
"But I have seen three-goal advantages wiped out before and we know Deportivo can score goals at home," he added.

As things turned out,
O'Leary's caution was not misplaced. When I travelled
to Spain for the return leg and chatted with fans of
the Spanish champions none seemed perturbed. In fact, they were convinced their
side would overturn the 3-0 deficit - and they almost did. Deportivo
put on an attacking display that was, quite frankly, awesome. They were two
goals up in no time and United were hanging on by the skin of their teeth for
far too long. But hang on they did.